So... you're planning on heading to Florida for a Disney holiday with the family - but did you know that there are lots of hidden sights, sounds and more in the Disney parks that most people are unaware of? Read on for our top five Walt Disney World secrets...
1. Did you know that there are hidden Mickey Mouses all throughout the park? These hidden Mickeys come in all shapes and forms, and there are literally hundreds dotted around the parks. In Frontierland alone, for example, you'll find over 30, including a cactus in the Shootin' Arcade in the form of Mickey, Mickey-shaped ropes at the Frontier Trading Post store and a Mickey-shaped cloud in Splash Mountain. There are hundreds to find - how many can you spot?
2. Guests have the chance to enjoy some great experiences for the family that not many people know about. The first person to walk through the door of Tinkerbell's shop, for example, gets to wake Tinkerbell up. Those who ask early at the Wilderness Lodge Resort may be able to be the ones to raise the flag on the roof of the resort. Not to mention at the Magic Kingdom, if you arrive early enough, you may be chosen as the family of the day who will be able to help to open the park.
3. There are phones dotted around the parks (one on Main Street, another in Rockettower Plaza near the TTA and Astro Orbiter) that guests can pick up to listen to some interesting conversations from characters around the park. It also used to be possible to call Disney's parks in the UK and Canada and speak to park visitors - although this functionality may not currently be available.
4. Head to the Streets of America at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and you'll see an umbrella attached to a lamppost. It's a great chance to re-enact that Singing In The Rain moment...and even more so when you stand on the metal square on the floor, which will make it rain, leading to great photo opportunities!
5. If all of the magic of Disney World Florida is not enough, then why not take the Keys To The Kingdom tour? This five hour walking tour ensures that you'll not only learn about the history of the park, but you'll have the chance to explore some of the hidden areas that guests do not normally see. Did you know, for example, that there's a whole separate world underneath the main Disney parks? The attractions are built above a series of 'Utilidors': underground tunnels used by Disney staff to move between areas and transport supplies from one area of the resort to another without being seen. It would look a little odd, for example, to see cowboys heading through an area populated with astronauts! You'll also have the chance to learn more about each area of the park, visit parade floats backstage and enjoy lunch too.
Enjoy a trip to Disney World Florida with FloridaTix and make sure you research the lesser known aspects of the park as well as the main attractions. There's more to the resort than meets the eye...
#2 Hasn't been true for several years. Sorry.